New courts spring up across the UK as Andy Murray invests in padel
By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor

Squash clubs investing in adding padel tennis courts to their mix of facilities are reporting significant financial benefits.

There are more than 60 padel courts in the UK, many of them built during the past year and a half, and that figure is certain to escalate in the coming months.

Padel is best described as a cross between tennis and squash. It is for doubles only, making it a fun and sociable sport to play, uses the tennis scoring system and has very similar balls, and is played on a court with enclosed glass walls much like a squash court. Padel is often stated to be the fastest growing sport in the world. Just like squash used to be.

Using plastic rackets, and featuring an under-arm serve, it is an easy game to learn. Head to YouTube to dig out some crazy rallies as players dive around the court, and even race through the door to head outside the walls to keep the ball in play. Professional events attract huge crowds, and make for great television. This video even reveals that our famous court cleaner at Canary Wharf, Ken Narain, has an international rival!

The leisure industry is a rapidly-changing environment and businesses that fail to adapt to changing times and trends are likely to struggle. The current enthusiasm for padel certainly brings back memories of the rapid growth of squash in the 1970s and 1980s.

Clubs that provide both options (plus racketball, of course) would appear to be on to a winner.

Squash enjoyed the popularity of cult status 40 to 50 years ago as new courts sprung up all over the UK and beyond.

Tennis, cricket and rugby clubs added courts to generate extra revenues and cute entrepreneurs realised the commercial attraction of building facilities that reflected the aspirational lifestyle of those distant times.

Many of those entrepreneurs have since sold up, cashing in on the escalating property value of their premises.

Adding to a dusty backdrop of demolition workers bulldozing clubs to make way for offices and apartment blocks, especially in the city of London, came the anguished cries of squash players seeing their clubs taken over by so-called health and fitness chains.

These companies have adopted an all-out slash and burn attack on squash, converting courts into rooms filled with gym machines, or kicking out squash to make way for cross-training sessions, as David Lloyd Club squash members know only too well.

Many squash players consider gyms to be miserable, soulless places. But, just like padel, the money men love them.

Accountants working for multi-sport clubs with a variety of activities available to members and the wider public are delivering upbeat reports and forecasts as the padel boom accelerates. Clearly, a new breed of entrepreneur likes the look of padel. And squash clubs, if they are smart, should think about investing. One company advertises installation costs for as little as £20,000 per court.

No wonder Britain’s greatest tennis player, Sir Andy Murray, has recently invested in a new padel construction company, Game4Padel, based in Edinburgh. 

In the same city, Edinburgh Sports Club were way ahead of the curve. They installed their first padel court five years ago, to add to their excellent squash, tennis and gym facilities. And they have recently installed a third.

Club manager Jonathan Tait said: “We built the first padel court in Scotland five years ago now. We are officially the Home of Scottish Padel. And I am the chair of the Scottish Padel Federation.

“Padel was so successful in its first year that we made the decision to build another immediately. We erected a canopy on our first court and that has ensured that for 95 per cent of the year we are playing padel. You can get canopies that will allow 100 per cover but we decided on a more aesthetic look.

“Such is the demand for padel here , we will be putting another canopy on court two and are building a third court. We have upwards of 80 players who are members, and we have a further 100 registered players who are non members who play either in a league, as a corporate activity, or infrequently. We do allow pay and play but only in padel.

“I get an enquiry every other day about padel. Importantly, we have players that gave up sport at the club and are now back playing. We have a Spanish coach and we have 20 or so Spanish members we did not have before, so we are all taking Spanish lessons! Players have become total addicts very quickly.”

You can check out the Edinburgh Sports Club Padel facebook page here: www.facebook.com/padelESC

We know Andy Murray loves padel because he was filmed playing squash fan Roger Federer opposite one of Dubai’s leading hotels. And guess how Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp relaxed ahead of the club’s triumphant flight to Madrid for the Champions League final? Why, playing padel, of course.

The Merseysiders have installed a court at their Melwood training ground, making the club even more attractive to stars from Spain and South America.

The sport of padel started almost by accident in Mexico , when a wealthy businessman built a court in his back yard, and spread throughout South America before crossing the Atlantic to Spain, where there are now six million players.

Sweden has also caught the bug, with around 400 courts, including a new centre launched by former soccer superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

In London, padel courts first appeared at the up-market Chelsea Harbour Club and the Hurlingham Club.

Now, new new centres have grown up at Stratford, east of the city, and at Bishop’s Park in Fulham, which will host a World Padel Tour event in October. 

In picturesque Maldon, the Park Drive Club has built three courts next to the promenade and the club is now widely billed as “the” Essex padel centre. Annual membership is a very modest £80 and court fees are £6 an hour per person.

Further up the east coast, the Middlesbrough centre has recently installed two covered courts that are floodlit.

The Padel Court Company, based near Winchester in Hampshire, is one of the main padel businesses in the UK. It is run by squash lovers Jon Foster and Chris Herridge, a former WSF technical director for more than 30 years.

They are keeping busy with regular orders for new courts in a scenario that is reminiscent of the rapid growth of squash in the 70s and 80s. Their courts are shipped from Austria, where they are made by Wolfgang Denk’s famous Courtwall company, maker of the glass court used at the Citigold Wealth Management Canary Wharf Classic. Wolfgang now reports that he is producing far more padel courts than squash.

The Padel Court Company team built a court at their rural headquarters in Stockbridge to show potential customers. Word gradually spread and the court has become a popular club in its own right, spreading the news about padel by word of mouth!

Squash players in the London area who fancy a peep at padel should head to Canary Wharf next week for the annual Pop-Up Padel event.

For three weeks, from June 17 to July 4, an outdoor padel court is installed at Montgomery Square offering city workers, locals and tourists the chance to enjoy free taster sessions and get a feel for the sport.

 

A Corporate League is already up and running for company teams and the event will also feature a two-day World Padel Tour Exhibition, with some of the world’s greatest players showcasing the sport to promote the tournament in Fulham later this year.

The Courtwall website lists some fascinating historical facts about padel. The sport was first played in 1965 in Acapulco, Mexico, when the billionaire Don Enrique Corcuera built a special tennis court matching the available size in his back yard.

The first court in Europe was built at the Hotel Puerto Romano de Puerto Banas in Marbella in 1968. From Spain the Padel sport found its way 1976 to the famous Ocean Club in Mar del Plata in Argentina. By 1995 there were more than 500 padel clubs in Buenos Aires and today in Argentina an estimated six million enthusiasts play Padel on more than 40,000 courts.

Spain boasts similar popularity for padel, with an estimated six million players and an incredible array of 14,000 courts in Madrid alone.

And before you ask, yes, there are specialist travel companies offering package holidays for padel, with Benidorm a popular destination. 

Coinciding with Andy Murray’s investment in the padel business, the sport was recently adopted by the Lawn Tennis Association, a move which will inevitably lead to development funds becoming available for the expansion of this fun game. Three courts are going up at The Roehampton Club, where the LTA is based. 

Like many squash lovers, I am keen that our sport does not miss a trick here. A few years ago we had to deal with the pig-headed nonsense spouted by the anti-racketball brigade. Now, many squash clubs rely on racketball to keep them ticking over.

For squash clubs who are keen to take a look at padel, to give the place a buzz, to encourage new members, and increase your footfall all-year-round, I have compiled a list of useful contacts below. Many more can be found on Google. Other search engines are available.

Padel Contacts.

The Padel Court Company
www.thepadelcourtcompany.co.uk

Courtwall Padel
www.courtwall.com/padel-courts

EliGrass Padel
www.eligrass.com/products/sports/padel/

Melior Squash 
www.meliorsquash.co.uk

Padel Tennis London
www.padeltennis.co.uk

Game4Padel
www.game4padel.com

LTA Padel
www.britishpadel.org.uk

Club Directory
https://www.britishpadel.org.uk/clubs/

Pop-Up Padel
www.wearepadel.com

Stratford Padel (pay and play)
www.stratfordpadelclub.org

Maldon Padel Club at Park Drive Health Club
www.parkdrivehealthclub.co.uk/facilities/padel-tennis/

Middlesbrough Padel Club
www.britishpadel.org.uk/club/middlesbroughpadelclub/

Padel Holidays
http://www.internationalpadelholidays.com/
 

COMING SOON: Elliot Selby on “Why I love padel.”

ABERDEEN, S.D. — Scoring his first win of the season, and second career victory with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network, Scott Bogucki worked from the sixth starting spot to win Friday night at Brown County Speedway.

Scaling the back of his car to the cheer of the crowd, Bogucki was quick to thank those who have kept him going, “I can’t thank everyone who supports me enough. Without Sawblade.com, Dissolvalloy, Lee at Ostrich, just everyone who believes in this team, we couldn’t be here. Thank you so much.”

The fifth winner on the season, Bogucki trailed the first nine laps to 2018 winner Matt Covington.

Working into slower traffic, Covington nearly went for a wild ride on lap eight after contact with Jeremy McCune off the fourth turn put the T&L Foundry No. 95 atop the McCune’s left rear. Able to work free and continue rolling, the near crash was just what the driver of the Sawblade.com No. 28 needed.

Working to a low pass off the fourth turn to complete lap nine, Covington held the point, but would not be able to fend off the charge of Bogucki who grabbed the lead away on the following revolution.

“That’s never the way you want to get the lead, but at the same time we all have to race the lapped cars and after that, I knew I just needed to keep my nose clean,” said Bogucki.

Slipping off the top of the first and second turns while working slower traffic near the race’s mid-point, Bogucki altered his line slightly to cheat the cushion and keep his speed up. Not giving much to anyone to capitalize on, even with caution on lap 14, the moment of truth came as it looked like Scott was ready to take the checkered flag, only to see the caution lights come on.

With a trio of lapped cars between himself and Blake Hahn, who had worked to 11th on the low side of the Speedway, those cars took a right-hand turn to the Pits; leaving a clear shot for Hahn into the first two turns. Peeling to the bottom as Bogucki raced to the cushion, clean air and momentum were to the favor of the No. 28.

“That was not ideal at all,” chuckled Bogucki. “That’s normally when the wheel fall off the wagon, but when the called out the lineup, I just knew I had to get my speed up, hit my marks, and bring it home.”

In the end, Bogucki opened up his lead to 0.808 seconds over Blake Hahn, who was the night’s Hard Charger. Matt Covington ended up third after his mishap with Sam Hafertepe Jr. fourth. Advancing seven positions, Harli White completed the top five.

The finish:

Feature (30 Laps): 1. 28-Scott Bogucki, [6]; 2. 52-Blake Hahn, [11]; 3. 95-Matt Covington, [2]; 4. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, [5]; 5. 17W-Harli White, [12]; 6. J2-John Carney II, [4]; 7. 14-Jordon Mallett, [8]; 8. 11-Roger Crockett, [7]; 9. 2X-Tucker Doughty, [14]; 10. 77X-Alex Hill, [10]; 11. 17B-Ryan Bickett, [15]; 12. 86-Donovan Peterson, [1]; 13. 5-Eric Lutz, [3]; 14. 21P-Robbie Price, [9]; 15. 2K-Kevin Ingle, [13]; 16. 77-Damon McCune, [16]; 17. 69-Brandon Rekow, [17]; 18. 0J-Jeremy McCune, [18]; 19. 11M-Mindy McCune, [19]

GAFFNEY, S.C. — Mike Marlar ran away with the 21st annual Grassy Smith Memorial on Friday night at Cherokee Speedway. Marlar led flag to flag for his second Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of the season.

A terrific battle for the second spot took place between several drivers in the last five laps of the race. Davenport held Ross Bailes to secure the second-spot finish at the checkers.

Jimmy Owens came from the eighth starting position to finish in third. Completing the top five were Tim McCreadie and thirteenth starting, Don O’Neal, with Bailes slipping back to sixth on the final lap.

Marlar’s previous trip to Lucas Oil Victory Lane this season, came just two weekends ago in the Clash at the Mag at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, Mississippi. Tonight, he stamped his eleventh career series win in front of a packed grandstand at Cherokee Speedway.

“We got a good qualifying lap here tonight and it just set us up for success,” Marlar said. “I don’t feel like I drove my best race. I made a few mistakes out there. The cautions really helped me. They cleared out the lapped traffic. The guy leading here is really at a disadvantage because the cars in the back are just as fast as you are.”

Davenport, who has yet to finish outside the top-five this season, recorded another podium finish.

“We had to burn our stuff up a little too much,” he said. “Ross and I had a good race for a long time. I am not sure what happened to him at the end. The cautions didn’t go in our favor tonight. I thought maybe Mikey would come to us when we got into traffic, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”

Owens charged through a pack of cars to get to third and was challenging Davenport for second when the checkered flag came out.

“The middle was really good. I was able to move around well. I went to the top there a few times and I thought I was going to end up in the wall. It really sneaks up on you here. Moving down there was really good for the car. I didn’t want to burn off the right rear, but we ended up with plenty of tire left.”

The finish:

Mike Marlar, Jonathan Davenport, Jimmy Owens, Tim McCreadie, Don O’Neal, Ross Bailes, Chris Ferguson, Brandon Overton, Josh Richards, Tyler Erb, Shanon Buckingham, Dennis Franklin, Earl Pearson Jr., Kyle Bronson, Zack Mitchell, Hudson O’Neal, Chris Madden, Stormy Scott, Billy Moyer Jr., Devin Moran, Adam Yarbrough, Michael Brown, Derrick Ramey, Scott Bloomquist.

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — For Brady Bacon, it was the best of times. For Steve Buckwalter and Chris Windom, in particular, it was the worst of times.

That about sums up the roller-coaster ride of emotions among the top-three drivers during the final laps of Friday’s Williams Grove 100 USAC Silver Crown race at Williams Grove Speedway.

For Bacon, the times couldn’t have gotten any better as he avoided the misfortune in front of him. On the 100th and final lap, second-running Windom got into the rear bumper of Buckwalter, sending Buckwalter spinning out of the lead.

On the restart, Windom, the new race leader, led the field into turn one on the final lap only to see his right rear tire give out, handing the lead to Bacon who ended the drama once-and-for-all by cruising the last three-quarters of a lap to capture his first career USAC Silver Crown win.

Bacon’s score came in his 23rd series start aboard his Beast Chassis – Wilwood Disc Brakes – Hoosier Racing Tire-sponsored Beast/Ford, the second-straight win for the Klatt Enterprises No. 6 following Kyle Hamilton’s victory on the pavement at Indiana’s Lucas Oil Raceway in May.

Bacon, the two-time USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car champ, started third, but dropped to sixth on the opening circuit which, though had him a tad worrisome, became an afterthought as he preserved his equipment and steadily moved up as the race wore on, running fourth as late as nine laps remaining with Buckwalter, Kody Swanson and Windom sitting ahead of him in the pecking order.

Following the lap-90 restart, Bacon surged from fourth to third to second between laps 91 and 93 and was challenging for the lead. Just a lap earlier, Swanson had slid by Buckwalter for the lead in turn one with just a bit too much gusto, sliding up just out of the bottom groove as Buckwalter didn’t fret and drove back by underneath.

That opened up the door exiting turn two, allowing Bacon to sweep past Swanson to second as the field passed under the legendary back straightaway bridge, while Windom presented an inside challenge to Swanson entering the third turn.

Windom’s right front and Swanson’s left rear tangled not once, but twice in between turns three and four, forcing Swanson wide off turn four and allowing Windom to take the third position.

Bacon challenged Buckwalter for the lead entering the outside of turn three on three consecutive laps to no avail.  With five to go and Bacon unable to make the lane up from the bottom work to his liking, Windom took advantage and skirted underneath on the low line to grab second.

“It took me a lap to get going before I could start trying to squeeze on the outside of turn three,” Bacon recalled. “But Buckwalter was really smart. He races a lot here, so he was keeping himself just far out enough to where I couldn’t get a run on him, and then I slid out.”

The top four of Buckwalter, Windom, Bacon and Swanson ran practically nose-to-tail entering the conclusion. Heading into turn one on the final lap, though, local favorite Buckwalter from Royersford, Pa., a nine-time wing sprint car and five-time ARDC Midget winner at Williams Grove, seemed poised and primed to capture his first career Silver Crown victory in his 25th series start.

That’s when the complexion of the race, and seemingly the universe, turned on its figurative head.  Second-running Windom entered turn one a couple car lengths behind Buckwalter.

Windom tagged Buckwalter’s rear bumper with his own front bumper, turning Buckwalter sideways and, ultimately, to a stop in the middle of turn one. Windom barely escaped to the outside behind Buckwalter’s tail tank while third-running Bacon snuck by underneath without getting caught in the melee.

Buckwalter didn’t mince words in his thoughts of what happened just three-quarters of a lap away from payday.

“I knew I had to get in low and protect the bottom,” Buckwalter explained.  “I was running as hard as I had to (in order) to make that happen. I just feel bad for all the PA fans. We had them beat. I don’t know what else to say. I guess he just didn’t want to get second, but he just drove through me.”

Windom admitted he just plainly misjudged the entry to turn one.

“I obviously misjudged it and I feel terrible about it,” Windom admitted. “I’d been battling brake issues the last 40 laps of the race and he got in so slow and low to protect the bottom. Once the white flag came out, I got excited going down the front stretch and I got in too hard. I had my left foot through the floor trying to slow the car down. I just knew at that point that I had gotten in way too hard. I tried to turn up at the last second, but it just ended up catching him even harder with the bumper and spun him.  I can’t change it now. I had a bad misjudgment there.”

That set up a green-white-checkered finish. Though there was a tad fretfulness at the beginning, Bacon’s car had come to life late. Once he gained a close-up look of the leader’s tire situation, he knew there was blood in the water.

“I knew we had a better car at the end,” Bacon noted. “I was a little worried when we weren’t very good at the beginning, then I saw some tire issues come about. Buckwalter’s tire was looking pretty bad and Windom’s was looking bad. Once they had that little altercation over there, that gave us an extra lap. I knew that wasn’t good for Windom because I could see his cords.”

As Windom’s tire went down, forcing him to slip up the race track in turn one, Bacon scooted underneath and it was in the books as Bacon drove away and got out of Dodge to claim one of the most drama-filled last laps in USAC Silver Crown history.

“Coming off turn two, maybe,” Bacon explained. “But then I’m like, there’s no telling who’s behind me.  I don’t know how much I slowed down to miss (Windom), but I was pretty confident I had it. I was just hoping they didn’t throw the yellow. It feels like I should’ve won a couple of these, but glad to get my first one. I love coming out here to PA. This is a really cool place to win a race.”

Swanson finished six-tenths of a second behind Bacon in the second spot ahead of Justin Grant in third.  Mike Haggenbottom earned a career-best fourth from the 15th starting spot while Eric Gordon rounded out the top five.

To see full results, turn to the next page.

ATTICA, Ohio — Ohio Sprint Speedweek has certainly been kind to Kyle Larson, as each of his Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 victories have occurred during Cometic Gasket Ohio Sprint Speedweek presented by Indy Metal Finishing.

Larson, pilot of the Chevrolet Accessories/Finley Farms/Priority Aviation/Howard Johnson of Lima/No. 57 sprint car, dominated Friday night’s Speedweek opener at Attica Raceway Park, leading 25 of the 40 laps and winning by nearly eight seconds.

The $5,000 victory increased Larson’s Series win total to nine, now with two at Attica Raceway Park; his first since 2016.

“Just a great car all night,” Larson said. “It was either starting to clean off, or take a little bit of rubber through turns three and four. That made things pretty technical. At times, I felt like I needed to cheat it and run below it to stay on a clean track, but I knew I needed to be in the rubber at the same time. Definitely a fun track. I haven’t raced Attica too much, but this is the slickest Attica I’ve been on, so it’s pretty neat to get a win.”

Although starting from the pole, ‘Larson was beat to the initial punch, forced to follow defending All Star champion and current Series point leader, Aaron Reutzel, for the first 15 circuits.

A pair of cautions, one appearing on lap five and another on lap ten, gave Larson a set of opportunities to earn the advantage over Reutzel, but the Clute, Texas-native remained strong and in control.

Unfortunately for Reutzel, but a fortune circumstance for Larson, lap 16 proved to be drama-filled for the front-runners, as a spinning car would create a definite road block leaving Reutzel will little time to react and nowhere to go.

Eventual contact with the spinning car ended with Reutzel laying on his side, ultimately ending his evening at Attica Raceway Park. Reutzel’s early retirement inherited the lead to Larson, and that is where he stayed.

Despite Buddy Kofoid’s ability to hang with Larson during the first 15 circuits, actually showing Larson his nose on multiple occasions, the driver of the familiar Ed Neumeister-owned, No. 11n entry was no match for Larson during the latter stages of the main event.

Larson eventually escaped in traffic, extending his lead to nearly eight seconds with over half of the field left a lap down.

Six-time All Star champion Dale Blaney eventually snuck by Kofoid on lap 27 to secure the second position. Kofoid held on to finish third at the final checkers, followed by D.J. Foos and 12th-starting Tim Shaffer.

“I obviously caught a big break when Reutzel got caught up in that wreck. We were a little bit lucky tonight,” Larson continued. “It’s tough when you’re in second and the track is really dirty. I felt like Reutzel was a little bit better than me when he was leading, but then, once I was the leader, I felt like I was better than I had been when I was behind him.”

The finish:

Feature (40 Laps): 1. 57-Kyle Larson [1]; 2. 11-Dale Blaney [5]; 3. 11N-Buddy Kofoid [4]; 4. 16-DJ Foos [7]; 5. 49X-Tim Shaffer [12]; 6. 70X-Spencer Bayston [9]; 7. 71P-Parker Price-Miller [10]; 8. 5X-Justin Peck [11]; 9. W20-Greg Wilson [18]; 10. 23-Hunter Schuerenberg [21]; 11. 5R-Byron Reed [19]; 12. 26-Cory Eliason [22]; 13. 8M-TJ Michael [6]; 14. 70-Brock Zearfoss [20]; 15. 13-Paul McMahan [25]; 16. 1ST-Gary Taylor [13]; 17. 99-Skylar Gee [26]; 18. O9-Craig Mintz [16]; 19. 35B-Stuart Brubaker [14]; 20. 3J-Trey Jacobs [15]; 21. G1-Caleb Helms [23]; 22. 1-Nate Dussel [24]; 23. 87-Aaron Reutzel [2]; 24. 17B-Bill Balog [8]; 25. 25M-Chris Andrews [17]; 26. 14-Tony Stewart [3] Lap Leaders: Aaron Reutzel [1-15], Kyle Larson [16-40]

KNOXVILLE, Iowa — Brian Brown has dominated sprint car competition at Knoxville Raceway this season, winning all three times he has competed heading into Friday night’s opener at the Brownell’s Big Guns Bash featuring the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.

The Grain Valley, Mo., driver made it “four for four” in dominant fashion, leading every step of the way in the 25-lap feature. The win was worth $10,000 for the pilot of the Casey’s General Stores/FVP Brian Brown Racing No. 21.  Brown became the 15th different winner of the season for the World of Outlaws.

Brown came from his starting spot inside row two to blow by front row starters Daryn Pittman and Shane Stewart.  As he pulled away in clean air, seventh-running Sammy Swindell slowed to bring out a caution two laps in. The restart saw Brown leading Pittman, Stewart, Donny Schatz and Brad Sweet.

Brown chose the inside line and pulled away again, building on his lead.  The leaders entered lapped traffic on the tenth circuit.  Brown continued to build his lead with Pittman maintaining second over Stewart and Schatz.

Sweet pressured Schatz for the fourth spot as the two took turns battling past each other. Eventually Schatz would maintain his advantage.

Brown weaved masterfully through traffic, and was four seconds ahead of the second-place car of Pittman at the checkers.

Stewart followed, ahead of Schatz and Sweet.

“This one’s for you Knoxville fans!” exclaimed Brown. “You guys support us every Saturday night. It’s important for us to run well in front of you guys when the Outlaws are in town. I’m proud of everyone on the team. I got a really good start, and I haven’t been running the top much. I knew I was running my tires off a little bit. You don’t know how far you’re ahead.  Lapped traffic got intense a couple of times. I kept my composure and here we are.  We treated this like a normal week. I always thought I’d like to win my first Outlaw show at Knoxville.  We’ve won them in Charlotte, Arizona and Kansas, but this one’s special.  Four seconds (his lead at the checkers) felt like four-tenths of a second to us.”

“That just means he did a better job than I did,” said Pittman. “I don’t know that they slowed me down any more than him.  He just was probably a little more aggressive. He’s good here. I was unsure how far you could be behind a guy to pull the trigger on him. I know not completing the pass would kill our speed. I was maybe a little hesitant to do that.  I’ve got to thank my guys. They worked their tails off.  We got an engine changed before the dash and I went out there and the car was really good. I have to thank Dennis and Teresa (Roth). We’ve got a super race team. I’m super-excited about the direction we’re headed.”

“There’s no spots easy here with these guys,” said Stewart, who drove the CJB Motorsports No. 5. “We were able to get back by Donny there on the last lap, but this race was over at the green flag. Brian and those guys did a great job. We’ve been proving that every time we make the dash, we’re in contention to win. We just have to keep making the dashes. These are little test sessions for August. We’ll go back to the drawing board tomorrow. My guys work really hard. I wouldn’t want to be on any other team. I’m happy to be where I’m at.”

To see full results, turn to the next page.

Analysis, social media chatter and plenty of silliness from the World Cup 2019. If the blog isn't loading for you, please refresh. Also, you can follow ball-by-ball commentary of the game here

Welcome to ESPNcricinfo's live updates on today's World Cup encounter from Cardiff. Both South Africa and Afghanistan are searching for their first win. Whose day will it be? (Please refresh your page if the blog doesn't load.)

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Must we succumb to building this game up beyond the point of hyperbole? Despite the fact that one side so heavily outguns the other in just about every department imaginable? Despite the fact that India and Pakistan have never played a World Cup game that has produced a finish to match the needle? Despite the fact that the game might not even happen, with an unfavourable forecast in Manchester beginning to take a turn for the worse?

Yes, we must. There's no avoiding it, and perhaps no reason to. This contest may not have produced as many high-quality cricket matches as you might expect from a rivalry of this intensity, but, with more eyeballs on this match than the final itself, cricket can ill-afford to turn its nose up to the casual fan base that tunes in to India vs Pakistan. It was the most anticipated game of the tournament when the fixtures were announced - perhaps indeed when the tournament format was announced - with Steve Elworthy revealing that the ICC had had 400,000 applications for tickets, and that they "could have packed out Wembley four times over".

But now to the cricket itself. India might have begun the tournament late, but they haven't exactly been eased in, with their first three games scheduled against South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The third was washed out, but resounding wins in the other two mean they have cemented their position as co-favourites for the title, perhaps even edging ahead of England given the dominance of their displays. They have a pace attack that would be the envy of Pakistan - imagine saying that at any other point in these two countries' histories - combined with the twin spin threat of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav to keep the middle overs tighter than any other team does. They front up to a Pakistan who haven't quite figured out their best eleven yet, and will go into this game having to make a decision that potentially leaves them a batsman light.

There is no escaping the fact Pakistan are unpredictable, and India will be professional enough to be cognisant of that. Sarfaraz Ahmed's side have lost 12 of their last 13 completed ODIs, but it is notable that the win came last week against England when it really mattered, having been blanked by the same side in a bilateral series last month. The top three all average above 50 - though Fakhar Zaman's recent form is a mild concern - and while the pace attack isn't quite the threat they would like it to be, a resurgent Mohammad Amir may look to torment India's top order once more. Shadab Khan, set to return after being dropped against Australia in a move that didn't quite work out, is one of the few that matches his Indian counterparts for ability, and the two sides' last meeting at an ICC tournament in England, which produced the heaviest-ever win in a game between these two teams, is one Pakistan will look to seek inspiration from.

For India, the challenge will be to rise above the emotions of a derby game, while Pakistan must try and frame it as such. Stripped bare of emotions, the gulf between the two sides is a gaping chasm. With the balance tipping towards India each time the two sides play - India hammered Pakistan in the recent Asia Cup twice, which is more reflective of the trend than the Champions Trophy final - Virat Kohli's men will look to approach this as just any other match, because the pressure of viewing it through the prism of history will only play into Pakistan's hands. But then again, the mental baggage swings the other way, too; Pakistan have never once beaten India in a World Cup match, even in the years they were unquestionably the better of the two sides. Were they to turn all that on its head in a year when it looks less likely than ever before, this World Cup might just find the spark it has so plaintively awaited in its opening fortnight.

Form guide

India WWLLL (Last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan: LWLLL

in the spotlight

Much is made of Rohit Sharma's third-ball lbw to Mohammad Amir in the 2017 Champions Trophy final, and his second-ball dismissal to the same bowler in the same fashion in Bangladesh in the Asia Cup in 2016. What isn't mentioned, however, is that on the other three occasions that the two have met since Amir's return, Rohit has scores of 91, 52 and 111*. To say he'd be apprehensive about facing Amir is a product borne out of selective meory, but there's no overstating the importance of that battle. India, who rely on a gun top order, are without Rohit's usual opener Shikhar Dhawan, making his wicket even more prized for Pakistan. It will matter not a jot to them if Amir takes it or not, but on current form, he looks like the bowler Rohit - and indeed India - should be most wary of. Rohit, however, started off the tournament with 122* and 57, so perhaps it is Pakistan who should feel forewarned.

The most gushing - and at the same time damaging - compliment Pakistan fans can pay to Babar Azam is some sort of favourable comparison with Virat Kohli. The numbers suggest he could be on track to become Pakistan's greatest batsman ever, but he isn't nearly in a position where such comparisons are helpful or accurate. India will be well aware that his average against them drops from his career figure of 50.96 to 27.50, and he is yet to cross 50 in four matches. The contest against Australia, where he looked gorgeous for the all-too-short time he was there, will latch itself into YouTube clips for glorious immortality, but a longer, grittier, uglier innings would have won Pakistan the game - the sort of game Kohli would have won for India. Old Trafford is another chance for Babar to show he isn't just a big player but also one who can rise to the big occasion.

Team news

India's biggest concern is the unavailability of Shikhar Dhawan owing to a hand injury sustained against Australia. KL Rahul will be promoted to open the batting, with Vijay Shankar looking likeliest to take the middle-order slot vacated as a result.

India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Vijay Shankar, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Kedhar Jadhav, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Pakistan are wrestling with the balance of their side, and whether to play five specialist bowlers or stick with the extra batsman at seven. There's uncertainty about the personnel, too, with Shoaib Malik and Asif Ali, both of whom had difficult outings against Australia, potentially in for a demotion. Haris Sohail looks primed to take one of those two places.

Pakistan (possible): 1 Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Mohammad Hafeez, 5 Sarfaraz Ahmed (capt & wk), 6 Haris Sohail, 7 Shoaib Malik/Asif Ali/Imad Wasim, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Mohammad Amir 11 Shaheen Afridi

Pitch and conditions

The pitch is flat, with almost no sign of green, which should suggest a high-scoring game. However, there is inclement weather predicted for the evening, meaning whoever wins the toss will look to put the opposition in.

Strategy punt

• Bring Kedar Jadhav on early, and give him a long spell. Against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy final, India brought him on when starved for wickets, and he struck early, removing Babar Azam in his three-over spell. In the Asia Cup last year, his figures read 9-0-23-3, his career-best figures to date. Mohammad Hafeez gave his wicket away to Aaron Finch loosely in the previous game, and Pakistan are just the sort of team who might get frustrated by the bowler's unorthodox action and nagging line.

• Open the bowling with Shadab. It worked, don't fix it. Jason Roy was dismissed in Shadab's second over, and the ploy will be suited even more with a new opener in India's ranks. If Amir's job is to target Rohit Sharma, Shadab plotting against Rahul at the other end with the new ball is likely to disrupt the batsmen's rhythm, and may bring the early wicket Pakistan crave.

Stats and trivia

• Pakistan and India have only ever played one ODI at Old Trafford, the venue of the clash tomorrow. That came in the Super Six stage of the 1999 World Cup, with India winning by 47 runs.

• Jasprit Bumrah's figures in the Champions Trophy final read 9-0-68-0. They remain his worst ODI figures.

• Shadab Khan is one wicket away from 50 in ODIs, and should he get there tomorrow, will become the fourth Pakistan legspinner to do so.

Sri Lanka A 260 for 3 (Dickwella 111, Cooray 65, Shreyas 3-49) beat India A 259 (Gaikwad 74, Dananjaya 3-51) by seven wickets

Niroshan Dickwella's ninth List A century and his 165-run opening partnership with Sangeeth Cooray set Sri Lanka A on the track for a seven-wicket win against India A, helping them level the five-match series 2-2.

Having been put in to bat in Hubli, India A were anchored by a half-century from in-form opener Ruturaj Gaikwad (74 off 73 balls), who also helped stitch together two half-century stands for the second and third wickets after the early loss of Prashant Chopra. However, apart from useful knocks from Ricky Bhui (38) and Deepak Hooda (37), the other India A batsmen failed to capitalise on their starts. They were eventually dismissed for 259.

The Sri Lanka A spinners - Akila Dananjaya, Lakshan Sandakan, Shehan Jayasuriya and Ashan Priyanjan - dominated the wickets tally, taking seven wickets between them, including the scalps of Gaikwad, Bhui, Hooda and India A captain Ishan Kishan.

Dickwella (111 off 93) and Cooray (61 off 74) were rapid in their pursuit of the 260-run target, striking at over six an over during their 165-run partnership. The base was strong enough to survive three quick wickets - all to legspinner Shreyas Gopal - as Jayasuriya and Priyanjan took the side home in the 48th over with an unbeaten fourth-wicket partnership of 75.